Tingle's Choice
by Lleu
Summary: With his father dying, Tingle is forced to have an unfortunate encounter with reality.


High above North Clock Town, Tingle observed his lovely home as he floated through the air, suspended by his magic fairy balloon. The sun was shining brightly, making mapping conditions perfect. Of course, he could always just recopy the perfectly good maps he'd already made, but that just wasn't the same as making one straight from the terrain.

With a couple sharp lines, he quickly sketched out the entrance to the home of the so-called "Great Fairy." Professionalism aside, he never liked to spend too much time on the cave of that imposter. Everyone knows that fairies wear green. Last time he'd seen the "Great Fairy," she'd barely been wearing anything. So she obviously couldn't be real.

As he finished up the cave, he saw someone entering the northern part of Clock Town. Tingle quickly turned his attention to the new person. Could he be here to visit Tingle? Maybe he wanted to buy a map. Hopes, high, he stretched out his neck to get a better look.

"MR. FAIRY!" Tingle called out. It was his best friend in the whole word. And also the only other forest fairy he'd ever seen. "Mr. Fairy, Mr. Fairy, Mr. Fairy!" he continued, waving his arms frantically.

Tingle could barely contain his excitement as Mr. Fairy went through his ritual of popping the magic fairy balloon so they could talk. Tingle never liked having to get another magic fairy balloon, of course, but the chance to talk to Mr. Fairy (and maybe sell him a map or two) more than made up for it.

Mr. Fairy's magic fairy arrow popped the magic fairy balloon, and Tingle fell to the ground with a thump.

"Mr. Fairy!" Tingle said, extending his arms. But something was wrong. Mr. Fairy looked sad, and he didn't hug him. Of course, Mr. Fairy never hugged him, and he always looked sad, (did he not like being a fairy? No, that's impossible!), but today he looked even sadder.

"I have some bad news, Tingle," he said softly.

"Stop being silly," Tingle replied. "There is no bad news when you're a fairy. Everything turns out perfectly for us!"

But Link just shook his head. "It's about you father."

"Fairy's don't have fathers. We're born from the forest, when-"

"He's dying."

Tingle froze where he was. His arms were extended above his head in mid-gesture, and his face, for the first time in decades, showed shock.

The words recalled memories from long ago. A huge man with a bushy mustache, sitting with him at a crude table, teaching him to draw. Carrying him through the swamps as if he weighed nothing. Tremendous strength, but gentle as a flower.

Tingle wanted to scream that this man couldn't possibly be his father, because fairies don't have parents. He wanted to hurt the evil fairy who doubted him. But the memories took over, and what he actually said was "Daddy's dying?"

Tingle remained frozen as Mr. Fairy slowly nodded.

"I'm here to take you to him. To say good-bye," he said.

Tingle gulped. He should just stay in Clock Town. He didn't have a father. All he had was his maps and Mr. Fairy when he came to visit, and that was all he needed. But still, the man from the memories...

He was nice, even if he wasn't a fairy. Maybe he deserved some fairy magic in his life before it ended. Maybe Tingle's fairy magic could even save him!

"Okay, Mr. Fairy. Lead the way," Tingle said, happy once more. He was going to go be a hero, just like Mr. Fairy.

Mr. Fairy just looked at him with his sad and most definitely unfairy-like eyes and nodded.

Tingle was having the time of his life. He had managed to get another magic fairy balloon working, and he floated along above Mr. Fairy as he mapped out the southern part of Termina Field. Things had changed since last time; lots of trees had been cut down, and somehow a hill had been flattened out. He quickly jotted down the important changes. Someone would be happy to get that new information. He was sure of it.

Something shot past him, and he dropped his map in surprise. He cried out and dived for it just as he heard Mr. Fairy yell "Get down!"

Mr. Fairy pulled out his magic fairy bow, aimed, and let an arrow fly. It just barely missed Tingle, and he heard a loud _sq__uawk_ behind him. He turned to see a black bird falling back to the ground.

"You killed it, Mr. Fairy!" Tingle screamed. But Mr. Fairy couldn't hear him. He was too busy killing even more things. Chuchus jumped at him, eager for a hug, only to be met by his pointy sword.

"Mr. Fairy, no!" But Mr. Fairy didn't listen, and Tingle was reduced to sobs as Chuchu after chuchu died.

"Are you all right Tingle?" Mr. Fairy asked sometime later.

"Go away, Mr. Fairy," Tingle replied, turning his back to him.

"I just saved you," he said softly, as if he were confused. As if he didn't know why Tingle was angry at him.

"You killed them! Killed them all! That wasn't nice, Mr. Fairy. It wasn't nice at all. If not for your green clothes, I'd say you weren't a fairy."

"You think I like doing this?" Mr. Fairy retorted. "It's not easy. I'm sick and tired of hearing people say I'm some kind of monster because I fight. Because I kill. Have you ever looked a creature in the eyes and chosen to take its life? It's not easy. I stay up at night, remembering every single thing I've ever had to kill in the name of peace. You think I do it because I want to? Because I think it's fun? I do it because it's the only thing I can do. Yeah, it's not nice, but sometimes you can't be nice if you want everyone to live. Sometimes you have to make hard choices. And don't you dare even think about criticizing what I do until you've made a few of your own. Grow up, Tingle."

Tingle thought about what Mr. Fairy said for a long time as they continued their journey in silence, afraid of him after the outburst. When they started to enter the swamp, he decided it was time to talk again.

"What aren't you always nice, Mr. Fairy?"

"Because some people are mean, Tingle. I have to be not nice if I want to stop them from hurting anyone."

Tingle thought about that for a few minutes as he floated along.

"But you're a fairy. Fairies have to be nice."

Then it was Mr. Fairy's turn to be quiet. Then he called out, "Tatl! Hey, Tatl! I know you're spying on us. Come on out!"

A tiny ball of light shot out of the trees and rammed itself into Mr. Fairy's head.

"I'm not spying, Link. I just didn't want to interrupt is all."

"This is a fairy, Tingle," Mr. Fairy said. "I'm Hylian. You're Terminian."

"No, silly. I'm a forest fairy, not a Terminian fairy."

Mr. Fairy frowned (Tingle noticed that he did that a lot. Did frowning make him happy?) and rubbed his forehead.

"Okay," he said. "Let's assume you are a fairy."

"Okay. I'm a fairy. Your turn!" This was great. Mr. Fairy was finally realizing who he was. Maybe he'd get a balloon and hang out with him. Then they could be real best fairy friends.

"That's not what I meant," he sighed. "How do you know you're a fairy?"

"Because I wear green and float around on a balloon. That's easy."

"That's stu-"

"Tatl!" Mr. Fairy cut off the ball of light and shook his head again. "But how do you know that fairies wear green and float around on a balloon?"

"Because I'm a fairy, and that's what I do. Pay attention, Mr. Fairy."

"But you can't just say that!"

"Yes I can. It's easy. I just did it." Tingle was getting worried about Mr. Fairy. He sure was confused. Maybe he was doing too much fairy magic.

"Well, sure, you can. But then the word 'fairy' doesn't mean anything. Don't you get it? You're defining it as itself, so it can mean anything you want it to, which makes it useless as a word!"

Tingle stared at him "Do you really not know what a fairy is, Mr. Fairy?"

Mr. Fairy just sighed again, and Tingle could have sworn he heard a snorting sound from the ball of light.

"We should get going if we want to get your father in time," Mr. Fairy said eventually.

Tingle didn't talk to Mr. Fairy for the rest of the journey. His friend mostly talked in hushed voices with his ball of light. He'd occasionally catch phrases like "more monster attacks" and "mask could be coming back," but for the most part he had no idea what they were talking about. Seeing how often Mr. Fairy was frowning, Tingle figured it was probably a good thing that he didn't know. He didn't want to frown all day too.

After two days of walking (and floating, if you have a magic fairy balloon), they finally arrived in the heart of the swamp. An old wood house stood before him. Tingle remembered walking out of it twenty years ago, but he had no idea why he had ever been there in the first place.

The first thing he noticed when he entered was a witch sitting by the fireplace, stirring her cauldron. She was somehow familiar, but Tingle didn't remember why he knew her. She was looking at a bed. A large man sat up in it, his face pale. Tingle watched him for a few seconds.

"DADDY!" he screamed. Tingle ran across the room and threw himself into the old man's arms, completely forgetting his earlier protestations that he didn't have parents.

"Tingle..." his father replied, hugging him tight to his huge chest. "Didn't think I'd see you again." He opened his mouth to say more, but he was interrupted by a fierce set of coughing that shook his whole body. "Glad... that Link found you."

"Mr. Fairy's my best friend," Tingle said.

"So you're still a fairy then?" his father said weakly.

"That's right. And I'm going to save you with my fairy magic!"

"Tingle..."

"Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!" he shouted, dancing about with his arms flailing.

"It's too late for that, son."

"Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!"

"Listen Tingle." The old man's words were so faint now that Tingle could barely hear him.

"No! I can save you. Just wait. Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!"

"I love," he said, but he couldn't finish. He fell down against the pillows and closed his eyes for a final time.

"Daddy!" Tingle screamed. "Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! Tingle! Tingle!" The rest of his words were cut off by a sob. "Kooloo-Limpah!"

But nothing happened. He tried again. "Kooloo-Limpah!" Still nothing. Tears were streaming down his face as he strove to save his father. He screamed "Kooloo-Limpah!" again, his voice hoarse now, but it was too much for him. As he spun around to complete the spell, he collapsed.

Tingle lay where he fell, crying. The only person who had ever loved him was dead because he couldn't make his magic work.

But that wasn't right. That man wasn't his dad. Fairies didn't have parents.

Or maybe... Maybe that was his father. Maybe he wasn't a fairy, and his magic didn't work. He remembered it now. He remembered putting on that green suit and leaving home where he was a Terminian. He was no fairy, and he'd wasted the last moments of his only family shouting pretend words.

But Tingle didn't know how to be a Terminian. He wanted to be a fairy for the rest of his life. Otherwise, he'd have to be responsible. Why couldn't he go back to his balloon and fly above the world? It never hurt anyone!

Except of course, the kind old man who had almost died alone.

He wanted to scream as he lay there grappling with the problem.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Tingle?"

"Yes. I'm fine... Link."


End file.
